Browsing by Author "Ramos, Armando"

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Midget rodeo
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2003) Ramos, Armando; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael Peed
The essence of my work is not entirely in the medium, but in human beings and their history. The differences in humanity are fascinating to me, and in my thesis show I want to bring this to light. My thesis show, the Midget Rodeo, explores the oddities of our kind. Our lives today are overrun by computer enhanced models and manicured lawns; I want to show that it is okay to be who we are. We have lost touch with real existence to such an extent that we don’t realize what is really important. Americans have created a whole hierarchy of values that are unrealistic. In contrast, the rodeo is an example of a more honest portrayal of ourselves. The midget rodeo is a large installation that fills the entire gallery. The rodeo is comprised of five distinct scenes that are setup in their own environments. One is a singing cowboy on a crude stage. It has the feeling of a makeshift stage made of bales of hay that gives you a feeling of traveling from county fair to county fair. Other scenes range from rodeo clowns to a corral of galloping fantasy horses. All of these are constructed in their own specific setting in the rodeo, for example, a corral or toy horses. All scenes come together to form a collective environment in which they are all present and the viewer is free to interact.